facebook phishing

[Peter]

A couple of your earth days ago I joined facebook for a charity support group.  For two days, I could log in to fb fine.  Since yesterday they (fb) are demanding a mobile number "so that we can help you log in and confirm it is you and keep track of how many people log in".  They know it's me because I log in with my e-mail.  They know how many people because they are logged in.  I don't need assistance logging in - until now.

I expect social media to be dishonest but is there any way round this?  What if I haven't got a mobile phone (I almost haven't).

Peter

[Ashaman42]

I think whenever I've had similar in the past there is an option not to but it's made to blend in as much as possible.

[nicknack]

I've never given them my mobile number.

[Peter]

Thanks.

Edit:  Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how many ruses I use to try and get in, including using my e-mail address which is how I got in before and which they cite as an alternative to a mobile number, it comes up with the same instruction.  Using their "Help Centre" I see there is a method for removing a phone number, but as far as I can tell, this is just to remove it from public view; barefacedbook will still have it.  Further, the buttons they suggest using don't appear on my screen!

Typically, there is no "contact us" facility - probably to save money!

[Jaded]

I haven’t and won’t give them my number. I don’t want them knowing who I am 

[Kim]

It's unrealistic to expect that Facebook don't already have your phone number.  Someone with you in their phone contacts will have already shared it with them.

[Peter]

You're probably right, Kim.  I may just succumb and give them my (works) one.  But would my (real) friends not have to make a deliberate move to give my number to disgracebook?  I've never bothered to enquire how this stuff works!

Peter

PS  I've just been re-reading about the trip to Dufton.  Do you remember the hedgehog?  (Zilla - don't even think about it.....)

[MikeFromLFE]

I haven’t and won’t give them my number. I don’t want them knowing who I am 

I've just had a quick look at my FB account - there's a fake landline number and no mobile
(plus an email address only used for FB -   something@laposte.net  laposte.net being a free & reliable service from the French Post office)

[ian]

Well, the core business model of FB is your personal information, I'm never sure why people are surprised by this.

I would have assumed that they need mobile numbers, not just for that, because they need a place to send a code if you have an issue logging in.

And sundry evil.

[L CC]

I thought the phone number thing was for 2 stage security?

They have an old one of mine. So, erm, sorry, if you thought that was current.

[Jaded]

They tell you they need it for security and re-logging in...

As my FarceAche personae are not me, and don't use my email addresses, if I cannot log back in, I'm not bothered.

[Ham]

My problem is I need to remember the fake birthday I made up for FB, plus put up with "friends" congratulating me on my birthday on my not-birthday day.

[neilrj]

My problem is I need to remember the fake birthday I made up for FB, plus put up with "friends" congratulating me on my birthday on my not-birthday day.

I always change the year but not the rest of the date, I vary between 1 and 20 years younger than I am, as a consequence the many happy returns are still correct.

[Jaded]

Apparently 1/4 birthdays on web-thingies that you need to give birthdays for (but aren't official, like bank websites) are 1st January. I know mine are. 

[Peter]

The problem  I am having is that the page only has an option for me to put in a mobile number - NOTHING ELSE.  No help, no contact us, no e-mail (which they already have).  It's a bugger because although I avoid social media (present company, etc.....) I really want to communicate with the people from the charity in a more general way than by e-mail.

[Greenbank]

The problem  I am having is that the page only has an option for me to put in a mobile number - NOTHING ELSE.  No help, no contact us, no e-mail (which they already have).  It's a bugger because although I avoid social media (present company, etc.....) I really want to communicate with the people from the charity in a more general way than by e-mail.

Then you have a choice. Either put a number in or don't.

(It doesn't have to be your number but it will probably need to be a number that hasn't been used on a different FB account, and also one that you can receive the text messages for, so don't put in a random number in the hope that will bypass it.)

There are no contact details on the page because FB doesn't care about you (or any individual really, it's not just you). It just wants your personal details and forcing you to give them (or never use FB again) is their way of doing it. It sucks but there's nothing you can really do about it.

[fruitcake]

How did you get on? When sites do this to me, I try retyping the base URL into the browser (with nothing after .com) That can bypass an automatic diversion to a phone-number-harvesting-page.
If you need to create a number (a number that doesn't matter if it gets spammed), you could buy a SIM card for £1 at a newsagaent and put it into any spare mobile phone handset. You can then buy the smallest denomination of phone credit. You will then have a working phone number.

[Peter]

Yes FC - in fact I did something very similar.  I gave my works phone number.  Work will want the phone back pretty soon and will issue a new sim to whoever gets it, I should think.  So far, no problems.